Ria Bronte

Ria Bronte grew up in a heavily abusive environment involving addiction issues and cult dynamics. Poetry has been crucial to her re-discovering her voice, feeling comfortable in her skin, knowing her own mind (as opposed to the socialised, manipulated mind), and in continually discovering what freedom means, not despite the darkness, but in and through it. She says, "The main reason I perform and share my work is to create a stronger link between my inner and outer world, to connect with myself and others more deeply. It's absolute magic what happens to the atmosphere with good words, music and some intimate eye gazing up." Ria Bronte has performed at festivals around Europe, co-won Glasgow's slam heat, taken part in the BBC showcase at London's Roundhouse, and been published in various magazines. It has been said of her work "[Ria] has a mouth endowed with the power to dismember the defences of a whole room- before putting us back together again, filled with far more awe and compassion than before."